Ms Cheryl Williams

Career Summary

Biography

Cheryl Williams is a lecturer in the School of Education. She began her career in education as a Kindergarten teacher in coastal NSW before moving on to teaching Secondary English in inner Sydney and country high schools. While teaching she completed a Master of Education degree and a Graduate Certificate in Drama Teaching at The University of Sydney.Cheryl has also been a Head Teacher and occupied various Deputy Principal-level positions such as Academic Associate- Teacher Education and Quality Teaching Consultant. She was involved in the development and delivery of resources for Quality Teaching (the NSW model of pedagogy) in 2003 and has continued in her engagement with this model in university courses and in schools through teaching, research, professional development and conference activities. Her teaching and research work, particularly in foundations and professional experience, teacher induction and professional learning provides a rich base for working in partnerships between schools, universities and teachers. Cheryl was Deputy Director of the Professional Experience Unit, Ourimbah Campus from 2005-2010. Cheryl was Program Chair for the Foundations and Professional Studies Program Management Group in the School of Education from 2012-2015.

Research ExpertiseCheryl’s research expertise is in the areas of teacher professional learning, pedagogical reform, induction, supervision and mentoring. She has a deep interest in gender and power issues in education as well as feminist and post-modern interpretations of teachers, teaching and teaching contexts. Her PhD studies and research passions focus on post-structural and feminist analyses of self, pedagogy and power in the experiences of graduate teachers. Cheryl's educational interests have consistently centred on issues to do with the quality of teaching and learning, equity and social justice issues, transition to university teacher education, and teacher professional learning with a focus on induction. Cheryl is currently involved with colleagues locally and internationally in the fields of teacher education, induction and professional learning, pedagogy and curriculum reform, and post-structural/feminist analyses of education and teaching.

Teaching ExpertiseTeaching interests and expertise:

Foundations of education

Pedagogy and assessment

Power and gender issues

Sociology of education

Professional experience and internship

Teacher learning, supervision and mentoring

Administrative ExpertiseCheryl was Deputy Director of the Professional Experience Unit, Ourimbah Campus from 2005-2010. From 2011-2015 I was Program Chair for the Foundations and Professional Studies Program Management Group in the School of Education. I am Course Coordinator of Ethical Teaching (EDUC4196), Quality Teaching and Professional Practice (EDUC4196), Quality Teaching, Equity and Diversity (EDUC3196) at Callaghan and Ourimbah Campuses, and Supervision and Mentoring of Teachers (EDUC6132) in the Master's of Educational Studies.

CollaborationsI am currently involved with colleagues locally and internationally in the fields of teacher education, induction and professional learning, pedagogy and curriculum reform, and post-structural/feminist analyses of education and teaching. I have also been invited to share research and other work with international academic colleagues at Umea University (Sweden), Roehampton University (London) American Institutes for Research in Education (Washington-DC, USA) and the University of Nevada (Las Vegas) in my fields of pedagogy and teacher induction. Current collaborations include -- Hunter School of Performing Arts (2016),Toronto High School (2015-2016), Maitland-Newcastle CSO (2014). Key presentations: Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese Principals Conference (2011) -- Keynote address and workshop “Quality Teaching as a vehicle for pedagogical reform” (2011) -- Roehampton University, London (2010) -- Staff Seminar- Pedagogical reform in NSW- the Quality Teaching model of pedagogy -Umea University, Sweden (2010) -- Staff Seminar- Power and pedagogy in teacher induction (2010) -- Public Lecture- Pedagogical reform using the Quality Teaching model of pedagogy (2010) Previous local collaborations have included Bathurst Diocese, Broken Bay CEO, Australian Government Quality Teacher Project- (Academic Mentor to Hastings Collegiate and Lord Howe Island Central School ) and NSW Department of Education and Community (New Teacher Development Unit- Induction and Mentoring Programs). From 2009-2013, I was involved as Academic Partner in a Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese professional learning project as part of the Smarter Schools National Partnerships initiative in developing a Centre of Excellence in Teacher Quality at St Augustine’s Parish School, Narromine. We are now in our third year, and moving into the invitation stage of encouraging more schools to employ our model for collegial professional learning.

Reynolds RM, Williams CA, Brown JR, 'Social justice and school communities: Using a school linkage program to further students' undertsandings of social justice', Learning for Life: Sustainability, Global Citizenship and Social Justice. SEAA Biennial Conference with SASOSE Annual Conference. Paper Sessions - Full Abstracts (2010) [E3]

Gore JM, Williams CA, Ladwig JG, 'On the place of pedagogy in the induction of early career teachers', Proceedings of the Australian Association for Research in Education 2006 Annual Conference (2007) [E1]

Williams CA, Gore JM, Cooper SA, 'The Brave and the Bold: Researching the professional lives of early career teachers. Imagine if ...The impact of quality teaching on the socialisation of early career teachers', AARE Conference Paper Abstracts - 2004 (2004) [E3]